In the green

Last week was a windy one and the open areas along the boardwalk were cold enough to require a jacket. Among the trees on the trails of the Rotary Park in Summerside was quite lovely though, as was the River Trail in Tyne Valley. We had a picnic in Tyne Valley, about a thirty minute drive from home. We also took our first bike ride last week.

The trails through the forest in the Rotary Park are glowing with new green.

The leaves overhead are also open now and spread adoringly before the sun which they worship for the next several months.

Along the boardwalk, nesting Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are sometimes visible as an adult pokes its beak through the hole in the tree. 

On the River Trail, evidence of Sapsuckers abounds and we heard numerous woodpeckers as we walked the trail. I spotted a male and female in the same tree.

Two apple trees among some huge pines on the Rotary Trail are in full bloom.

The blossoms were abuzz with huge bees flitting among the blooms.

Along the River Trail, apple blossoms were numerous too.

At one location, near the beginning of the trail, petals randomly covered the soil, leaving white speckles on the red sand.

In some areas of the River Trail, the plants almost created a tunnel, except for a few beams of light which managed to break through the leaf cover on a windy day. 

The river in Tyne Valley flows gently along, not in a rush to get anywhere most days. In this area by a bridge, the water and reflection resemble a watercolour painting.

Later in the week, smoke from the fires in western Canada joined the fog in Bedeque Bay. The lighthouse across the bay couldn’t distinguish between the two. 

We had heavy rain this past week on several occasions. How I wish we could share the rain with western Canada. So many people are out of their homes in northern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Rain is urgently needed.

The last photo of the day is a Mourning Dove looking down at the world. I understand that look.

Finally, this past week, while walking the boardwalk, we chatted with a gentleman about the beauty of the day and the pleasant surroundings. He was so pleased to be there, unassisted, at 92 years old, enjoying the setting and the day. We were thrilled for him!

Enjoy your day!

  

April to May

Lobster season began recently and it draws us to the sea every spring. 

My husband and I went to the New London Lighthouse this year, 

one of our favourite places where boats are so close to land in the channel. 

One will always find Cormorants and Gulls in that area. One Cormorant flew off in front of a mussel boat which was headed to port.

We picnicked at Cavendish Grove that day, 

enjoying the beef stew I made for the occasion. Later we walked towards the coast, passing an Osprey nest which was occupied as its partner ate nearby.

Last week I saw my first Merlin, which was a thrill! However I have seen it since along the boardwalk and fear for the Song Sparrows in the area. Merlin’s can grab their prey right out of the sky.

One evening, my friend and I did another Owl Prowl without any luck. We did see lots of woodpeckers that evening near the Dunk River though. 

My friend and I will go another evening soon. The old dirt roads are waiting.

One morning, as my husband and I prepared for our walk, we saw a fox across the street. We don’t usually see them in the day, but this time of year, when foxes are feeding their young, we often see them hunting in the area in daylight. It was a foggy morning which affected the clarity of the photo but this fox has something in its mouth, probably food for its young.

Another day, when we arrived at the end of the boardwalk, two large hares were eating in the grass there. They were both brown except for their feet and lower legs which looked like white boots. Another walker with a dog scared them off before we could get better photos. 

It was a rainy day which required use of an iPhone for photos. Such circumstances almost guarantee we will see some interesting creature and struggle to take photos.

Finally today, I am struck with how adaptable seniors have to be to continue to have any quality of life. With diminishing senses and bodily functions, declining mental acuity and physical ability, life requires we adapt.

A friend told me recently she didn’t want to adapt. We talked about what she wanted for her life at this point in time. If she didn’t adapt, her life would get much smaller, confined to the house. By the next week, she had come to terms with the conditions she faces. She has adapted.

In some respects, we become invisible as we get older, an afterthought in society which bustles around us. However, we are here, adapting to life as it is for us at this stage. Just give us a few minutes!

Bear with me

It has been an extremely cold winter and the high winds haven’t helped. This coming week, temperatures will be near normal or above which will be a great respite from the bitter cold of the last few months. Despite the cold however, we are drawn to the stark beauty of the boardwalk.

There is an area along the boardwalk which the birds and squirrels love. They forage for seeds there, under the trees alongside the walkway. On days when the wind is calmer the place comes alive with the animals. The last day we were there, three squirrels chased each other around as numerous Bluejays made their presence known. 

One had mastered the chattering sound of a squirrel which it repeated as it flew among the trees.

Sparrows are common there too. Tree Sparrows hop around 

and Song Sparrows, which fill the boardwalk with song in the spring and summer, are quiet this time of year. 

If you stop along the bridge, you can expect Black-capped Chickadees to come around. They have flown around me as I’ve attempted to photograph them. My husband likens them to mosquitos. 

On our recent visit to Cape Egmont, 

we passed an old house with something in an upper window on the side facing the road. I didn’t know what was in that window since we drove by so quickly but we decided to go back that way to see it.

The front of the house doesn’t give any indication of the resident visible on the side. 

Someone added a bear to one of the upstairs window. 

Despite the condition of the house, we smiled when we saw the bear and wondered about the old house. The old place has a new life.

The last few days of February are upon us. Spring is on its way.

Have a great week!

Under the sugar maple

The past week was a busy one and there’s lots to share. My husband and I only made it to the boardwalk twice last week. The bitter cold and high winds made it too cold for extended time outside so the treadmill and the stationary bike had to suffice. 

We lost the power for 2 1/2 hours on a particularly cold day as I shared last week. There was a problem at the sub-station which serves Summerside and the western portion of Prince Edward Island. The issue is not yet repaired and we have lived with the threat of rolling blackouts if islanders could not conserve power. The blackouts haven’t been necessary as of yet. The hope is the sub-station will be back in service soon. 

One sunny day we drove to Cape Egmont, just west of Summerside in the Evangeline region of the province. It was good to be out and about though the side roads weren’t in great shape. We didn’t have snow shoes with us so we couldn’t visit the sea stack which usually draws us to the area. We could see the lighthouse from the nearby wharf however.

The photo below shows the wharf area as we see it from the lighthouse every summer.

On this occasion however, we were at wharf level where the wharf is heavily laden with pans of ice. 

This ice was thrown up by the high seas before the ice froze solid along the shoreline of the Northumberland Strait.

Some of the pieces are quite big and one can imagine the damage to the wharf under that weight. 

We also noticed undulatus clouds overhead. 

These wave clouds which we haven’t seen in recent memory, are formed when air is forced upwards and cools. 

They added another element to the photos. Nature puts on incredible shows if we but take the time to notice.

Daisy, our daughter’s golden retriever was home on her blanket on the couch one night recently while the television was on. A program about wolves came on and Daisy left the couch for the ottoman in front of the tv and gave it her full attention for the duration of the program. She likes nature programs as much as her humans do.

Finally, there is a movement in this country to buy Canadian rather than imported goods from the U.S. This is in response to the threat of tariffs which are looming early next month. I have done some research and have discovered the difference between Product of Canada and Made in Canada labels on products. We support this movement and are buying local as much as possible. We will buy products from other countries, such as Mexico, too.

Furthermore, there are a number of Canadians who are cancelling their vacations to the U.S. this year. Some who own vacation homes in the U.S. are planning to sell them as well.

Our national anthem says, “True patriot love in all of us command.” In my lifetime, I have never seen such expressions of patriotism from Canadians. Besides, doing something feels better than just waiting for the worst to happen. 

For now

The grip of winter kept us closer to home this past week. We walked the boardwalk a few days but walking the neighbourhood meant we could escape to home easily if we needed too. One day, with windchill of -23 C, cold stung our faces making an escape necessary.

Not only is Bedeque Bay ice covered now, with all the the snow we had last week, it is snow covered too. In places now, one can’t discern the shoreline from the snowy, ice-covered water below. 

We attended two gymnastics competitions which our youngest granddaughter participated in last week. Her enjoyment of the sport and determination to do her best are wonderful to see. There is another competition next weekend which we will attend if weather permits.

Also recently, one of my friends from book club passed away. Another ‘bookie’ and I attended her funeral last week. Katie was an avid reader and a kind, generous, loving person. I find it hard to believe she is gone. She will be missed.

Many in Canada watched the news on Saturday about the 25% tariffs the U.S. will impose on Canadian goods entering that country. In response, Canada will impose retaliatory tariffs on goods entering Canada from the U.S. 

Our daughter sent us this photo of the golden grand-dog, Daisy, early Saturday evening.

I wrote, “Daisy looks worried.”

Our daughter responded, “She’s scared the tariffs are going to affect her number of treats.”

It is good we can chuckle about it. For now…

P.S. Monday evening we learned the tariff threat from the U.S. has been delayed a month.  Daisy can relax for a few weeks.